July 22, 2006

This blog

by Douglas McLennan
Over the past decade there has been a steady drumbeat of stories about how classical music is languishing, about how audiences are graying, and the business of music is becoming unsustainable. And yet, to be a music consumer this could seem a Golden Age. There is...

more choice of music, more access to music, and more excellence in performance than at any time in history. Our music schools are stuffed to overflowing, the quality of musicians in orchestras has never been higher, and more people listen to classical music worldwide than ever before. Our culture is reinventing around us - is classical music poised for opportunity or is it primed to be a casualty in the cultural order? We've assembled a panel of critics, musicians and students to debate the issue, following our week-long online discussion on ArtsJournal.

Posted by mclennan at July 22, 2006 01:41 AM

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About...

This blog Over the past decade there has been a steady drumbeat of stories about how classical music is languishing, about how audiences are graying, and the business of music is becoming unsustainable. And yet, to be a music consumer this could seem a Golden Age. There is...
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How this blog works We've asked a group of observers of the classical music world to start a conversation on The conversation will last from Monday, July 18-Friday July 22, 2005. The blog is a lead-up to this year's Aspen Music Festival Critics' Symposium, where Hugh Canning, Justin Davidson, Andrew Druckenbrod, andDavid Patrick Stearns will be taking part in public panels. Reader comments to the blog...
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Aspen Music Critics Event At the end of this blog (July 29-30), a group of four music critics gather at the Aspen Music Festival for a weekend of discussion.
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Wanted: A Billionaire Who Loves Orchestras Peter Dobrin wants to know: "So where is the billionaire so in love with orchestral music that he or she wants to make all the difference in the life of an orchestra? Where is that hybrid philanthropist-music lover who wants to add $100 million or $200 million to the endowment of the Philadelphia Orchestra so it can stop fearing deficits; activate a range of education programs that can really inculcate children with classical music; and take a chance once in a while on edgy repertoire or the cultivation of a young unknown guest artist without fear of box-office repercussions?" Philadelphia Inquirer 07/19/06

Music; This is the Golden Age "Moaning about the state of classical music has itself become an industry. But as pervasive as the conventional wisdom is, much of it is based on sketchy data incorrectly interpreted. Were things better in the old days? Has American culture given up on classical music? The numbers tell a very different story: for all the hand-wringing, there is immensely more classical music on offer now, both in concerts and on recordings than there was in what nostalgists think of as the golden era of classics in America." The New York Times 05/28/06

Orchestras - The Best Or Worst Of Times? Allan Kozinn wrote a piece in last Sunday's New York Times contending that rumors of the demise of classical music are greatly exaggerated. But Greg Sandow doesn't believe it, and a vigorous debate has broken out... Sandow (AJBlogs) 05/31/06